{around here} Week of 9.8.14

From the looks of these photos, I apparently only photograph our homeschooling mornings these days.  The rest of the day is a blur of housework, baby preparations and lots of conversations and cuddles with the kids.  I am keeping up, but my body is definitely sending the signals that baby time is near!

Since I’m days away from having four (!!!) little boys in this house, I pulled out Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys from the bookshelf for a re-read.  If you have a little guy at home, I highly recommend this one.


Exciting news of the week: I was so honored to be interviewed for The Mom Next Door series over at Tabitha’s blog, Team Studer.  I love how Tab explained the purpose of the series: “Every Mom we see or know carries within her a story and history that guides her in decisions, worries, and the love she gives to her kids as best as she can. This interview series was created with the hope that, given the chance to chat with any mom, we would find that no matter how different they are from ourselves, we would come to see that all moms are really just A Mom Next Door.”  Be sure to check it out!  

Favorite homeschool activities this week:


Kindergarten

• It was P Week, so we did all things pirate!  It was fun to devote an entire week to one theme and see how it sparked the boys’ imaginations.  We read two of our favorite pirate books, 1001 Pirate Things to Spot and How I Became a Pirate, and made treasure maps, pirate puppets and newspaper hats.
• D also pulled out our well-loved Ed Emberley drawing book and has been busy creating all kinds of things.  I love how much he loves to draw.

Second Grade

• Spelling is still a big hit for M.  This week, I had him spell his words using letters cut from magazines and newspaper ads.  Fun for both of us, hah!
• Math has become a little hard for him, so I’ve decided to slow way down and supplement with worksheets in between lessons.  I think the extra practice with addition and subtraction facts will really help his self-confidence.  I’ve had some luck finding free printables around the web, but I think this Star Wars set may need to be purchased soon. 
• We are also about a third of the way through our study of Ancient Egypt and had a great week of activities.  Deciphering hieroglyphics (“I feel like a detective figuring out a code, Mamma!”) and making our own papyrus (using the instructions here) were both big hits.   

One last thing: Do you know Mary from her blog, Passionate Perseverance?  I first “met” her through my Penpal Project last year and she is such an amazing, holy woman to me.  Her sweet family is going through so much right now, so I would love if you would keep them in your prayers or even consider donating through their Paypal button (which you can find on her blog).  Thank you!  

Have a great weekend, friends.  Hopefully the next time you hear from me, I’ll be introducing you to our newest addition!